Indycar to host open tests at the Thermal Club, additional plans possibly in the works
NTT INDYCAR Series will be coming to the Coachella Valley.
The series will host open tests at the Thermal Club in February.
The tests will be the first of three Open Tests that INDYCAR will host at tracks in 2023. It also marks the series' first trip to the Thermal Club.
The Thermal Club is a private, world-class facility located south of the Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport.
The 470-acre facility has over five miles of racetrack, three distinguished circuits and 20 configurations. Since it first opened in 2012, it's become known as a premier circuit for club racers and sports car enthusiasts.
The facility was named “Professional Motorsport Facility of the Year” at the 2017 Professional Motorsports World Expo in Germany.
INDYCAR officials said they will use a combination of the North Palm and South Palm circuits to create a 17-turn, 2.9-mile layout for the 2023 test.
“We liken this to a preseason scrimmage,” INDYCAR President Jay Frye said. “The teams will be doing everything it takes to prepare for a run at the 2023 championship at a new and unique backdrop for the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. The facility is spectacular, and I know everyone at The Thermal Club cannot wait to welcome our paddock.”
INDYCAR will host the testing at the Thermal Club on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3.
"For us, it means every INDYCAR fan is going to get an inside look at the best cars in the world on what we think is the best track in the world,” said John Rogers, owner, The Thermal Club. “It's a wonderful thing, and we’re very happy it’s worked out with INDYCAR and Thermal.”
The event will not be open to the general public, according to Nathan Brown, motorsports reporter for the IndyStar.
A clarifier on @IndyCar’s preseason Open Test at The Thermal Club:
— Nathan Brown (@By_NathanBrown) October 10, 2022
The facility is still private. Only way fans will have in-person access to view it in-person, beyond owning property there, is being invited by a friend who does.
Won’t be a ticketed event open to the public.
Future Plans for INDYCAR in the Coachella Valley?
Track president John Rogers hinted that there could be more to come for INDYCAR in the Coachella Valley.
“Just start with making sure it’s all good before we go for the home run in the ninth inning. So without revealing the bigger plans in the future, this is a test run to make sure the teams like it and the drivers like it," Rogers said in an interview Monday with RACER Magazine.
Further in the interview, Rogers adds that they are working to receive Grade 2 safety rating by the FIA. While they originally didn't need it due to being a private facility, it was done at the urging of INDYCAR President Jay Frye.
“But Jay Frye said we’d need to get Grade 2 certification if we’re going to do something big, and so we’re on track to get FIA certification here at the beginning of the year,” Rogers said in the interview.
Veteran motorsports reporter Marshall Pruett added in his article for RACER Magazine that it's believed if the tests event is successful, it could lead to a future race date being added to the calendar.
INDYCAR SEASON
INDYCAR has two other Open Tests scheduled throughout the year.
The Indy 500 Open Test is scheduled for Thursday and Friday, April 20-21 at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The annual test on the famed 2.5-mile oval provides crucial preparation for the 107th Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge, scheduled for Sunday, May 28. The entire field for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” is expected to participate in the test.
The third and final Open Test of the 2023 season comes Thursday, Sept. 7 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. It will take place just three days before the Astor Challenge Cup is awarded to the season champion at the same facility after the Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey.
The 2023 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season opens Sunday, March 5 at the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg presented by RP Funding on the Streets of St. Petersburg.
For more information, visit: https://www.indycar.com/
